1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an automatic framing camera comprising a framing means for detecting the position of a still subject, and of automatically framing this within a photographic range.
2. Prior Art
In recent years, progress has been made in development of systems such as verification systems that photograph a person""s face and convert this to an electronic image, automatically identify that person from this image information, and verify the person as the actual person making an application, and in development of recognition systems that automatically recognize special features of an object. With these systems, if there is a large volume of information for the image information required for verification or recognition, it is possible to prevent an erroneous judgment, so it is necessary to have an image that frames a full photographic image of a person""s face or the special features of an object. To do this framing automatically, it is necessary to aim the photographing direction of the camera toward the person or object, and to take the photograph so as to capture the face of the person or the special features of the object.
As a method for doing this, for example, disclosed in Tokkaihei 2001-43381 is a technology that continuously inputs images containing people and generates differential images between multiple images continuously over time, sets an outline using the position of a person""s shoulders and top of the head as a standard, and extracts the human area such as the face. With this technology, an outline is extracted for the difference before the image is moved and after the image is moved, and the photographing direction of the camera can be moved toward the person""s face, etc.
Also, disclosed in Tokkaihei 9-289609 is a technology that turns a camera in the direction of sound issued from the subject. With this technology, it is possible to automatically turn a camera toward the direction of sound, so it is possible to photograph a person, etc. who is emitting a sound.
However, with the technology of Tokkaihei 2001-43381, it is necessary to perform image processing that extracts the human area at high speed while capturing the image, and a high speed image processing function is required, so this is not suitable for low cost systems. Also, depending on the performance of the image processing function, a good deal of time may be required until the human area is extracted. Also with this technology, the method is to obtain the difference before and after moving, so it is difficult to apply this to still subjects.
Also, with the technology of Tokkaihei 9-289609, use is difficult on subjects that do not emit sound and in places where there is noise, such as outdoors. Furthermore, this is not suitable for use as a means of accurately framing a person for photographing because of sound reflection problems and sound directivity accuracy problems using sound to detect detection.
The object of the present invention is to provide an automatic framing camera that solves the problems noted above while also identifying, automatically framing, and photographing a still subject.
The present invention is an automatic framing camera comprising a photographing means for photographing subjects, a ranging means that measures the distance in one direction, and a direction changing means that changes as a single unit the photographing direction of the aforementioned photographing means and the ranging direction of the aforementioned ranging means, wherein [the camera] obtains in sequence the distance information corresponding to the direction for which the aforementioned ranging direction was changed by the aforementioned direction changing means, identifies a subject from changes in the aforementioned distance information, and turns the aforementioned photographing direction using the aforementioned direction changing means toward the aforementioned identified subject and takes a photograph.
According to the above, a still subject has its ranging direction changed by a direction changing means and is identified from changes in the ranging information by the ranging means, and the photographing direction of the photographing means is turned toward the subject by the direction changing means and the subject is photographed, so it is possible to obtain an image of a still subject while also having the subject framed in the obtained image, and because image processing such as cutting out images for framing is not necessary, it is possible to make the system higher speed and lower cost.